Worm-drive axle structure.



J. LNDSAY.

WORM DRIVE AXL STRUCTURE.

APPLIATIN FILED MAR. 18, 1912.

Patented Aug. 27, 1912.

2 SHEETS-sum1] [UNITED srarnsgggrnnr envien.

THOMAS J. LINDSAY, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA.

WORM-DRIVE AXLE STRUCTURE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS J. LINDSAY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Indianapolis, in the county of Marion and State of Indiana, have invented a new and useful W'orm-Drive Axle Structure, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to produce a convenient and economica-l power transmission unit for driving axle structures for automobiles, comprising a differential gearing or compensator, a driving worm, and an inclosing casing structure, the arrangementbeing such that the unit may be readily assembled and adjusted on a bench and then embodied in an axle structure with the driving worm arranged either above or below the compensator.

The accompanying drawings illustrate my invention.

Figure 1 isa transverse section of the complete unit; Fig. 2 an elevation, with the cover of thev casing removed and the compensator in section, yand with fragments of cooperating shaft units in place; Fig. 3 a section similar to Fig. 1 but with the driving worm above the compensator; Fig. 4 a section on line 4 4.- of Fig.. 2, and Fig. 5 an elevation,'on a smaller scale.

In the drawings, 10 indicates a casing member having a readily removable cover 11. This casing 10-11, is formed, at axially opposite portions, so as to receive tubular shaft-carrying units 12, 12 in each of which is rotatably mounted a shaft 13, as fully set forth in my. pending application Serial No. 642,799.

In the main body 10 I form two seats or pockets 14, 14 each of which is complementedv by a cap 111l detachably secured in place by bolts 15. The pockets 14, 14; are formed to receive the hubs 16, 1G of a cage which is formed by two mating members 17, 17. Cage 17-ll7 is provided with two "alined bearing pockets 18, 18 in each of which is -munted a roller bearing 19.

The lnain body of the comj'ionsator or differential gearing is formed with two oppositely extending trunnions 2l, 21, which are supported by the bearings 1f) and the said main body carries a linnn-worm gear 22. The center gears 23, 2?, of the differential l gearing have a non-rotative, axially and transversely separable, connection with the adjacent ends of the shafts 13.

Application mea March 1s, 191.2. serial No. 684,575. `g;

The two cage members 17 17 are prefere ably similar and each is provided withi openbottom bearing-pocket 24;' which are alined and lie at right angles to the' axisoi the trunnions 21. Each of the ockctsl 24 receives a roller bearingg25-an arrangedv against the inner end of each ocket isi a thrust bearing 26. Mounted in t e bearingstv A 25 and projected through the bearingsl 26 is a drive shaft 27 and splined upon this shaft, between the thrust bearings 26, is a; driving worm 28l which meshes with the wormewheel 22.

The casing 10 is formed with a transverse pocket 31, into which the pockets 24 of the cage 17 project, and this portion .of the cage 17 is held between an inwardly projecting'- iange 32, of casing 10, and the part 11"'02r cover 11. At 33 the casing 10 is formed toy receive -the rear end of a torque tube 4&0 which may house a main power shaft 41 con nected, by an axially separable joint, `with i the shaft 27. j

Casing 10,is provided, top and bottom, with a crotch 34- for the' receptionlof the usual brace rod 35 the ends of whichare to be connected in a suitable manner tol points near the outer ends of the units 12\,

If anl under drive is' desired the casing 10 will be varranged as shown in Fig. 1, while if an over drive -is desired, in'order to give greater road clearance, the casing 10 may be turned end for end relative to the units 12 and thenswung 18()O into the position shown in Fig'. 3.

By removing cover 11 and caps 14 the unit-#consisting of the cage 17, the differontial gearing andthe driving Worm and its shaft and bearings-inay be bodily withA drawn from the casing 10 without disturb ing the fuljustn'ient of any of the bearings and without disconnecting the torque tube from the casing member of the driving axle structure.

All ofthe bearings of the differential gear-o ing, and the driving worm and shaft may lbe adjusted accurately with the cage 17-17 .carried bysaid extension, a bearing shaft carried in vsaid bearings, a compensator mounted in the cage, andmeshing gears carried by and connecting said shaft -and compensator. y

2. A driving axle structure comprising a casing member, a cage detachably mounted in the casing,said cage having a lateral extension lying substantially at right angles to the axis ofthe cage and casing, shaft bearings carried by said extension, a bearing shaft carriedin said bearings, a compensator mounted in the cage, and meshing gears carried by and connecting said shaft and compensator. y

3. In a driving axle structure, the-combination of a pair of opposite extending tubular casing members, shaft sections rotat-ably mounted in said tubular casing members, a central casing member formed at its ,ends for detachableengagement With either ofthe tubular members, said central casing member having a transverse perfo-ration to one side of the axis of the casing, a cage detachably mounted in the central casing meinber and having a lateral extension arranged in alinement With said transverse perforation, said cage being reversible end-for-end in the casing, shaft bearings carried by the lateral extension of the cage, a driving shaft carriedl in said bearings, a compensator mounted in the cage, and gears carried by and connecting the driving shaftr` and compensator. I y 'I 4, In a driving axle structure, the combination of a pair of oppositely extending tubular' casing inembers,lshaft sections rotatably mounted in said tubular 'casing meni- V bers, a central casing member formed at its ends for detachable engagement with either of the tubular members, said central casing member having a transverse perforation to lone side ofthe axis of the casing, a cage detachably mounted in the central casing member and having a lateral extension arrangedin alin'einentwith said transverse perforation, shaft bearings carried by the lateral `extension of the cage, a driving shaft extension of the "cage,

carried in said bearings, a compensator mounted in the cage, and gears carried by and connecting the driving shaft and coinpensator.

5. In a driving axle structure, the combination of a pair of oppositely extending tubular casing members, shaft lsections rotatably mounted in said tubular casing inembers, a central casing member formed at itsv ends for detachable engagement with either of the tubular members, said central casing member having a transverse perforation to one side of the axis of the casing, a cage detachablvmounted in the central casing member 'and having a lateral extension arranged in alinement with said transverse perforation, said cage being reversible end-for-end in the casing, shaft bearings carried by the ,la eral extension o-f the cage, a driving shaft carried in said bearings, a compensatorV mounted in the cage, gears carried by and connecting the driving shaft and compensator, a torque tube connected to the central casing member`around its transverse perforation, a shaft mounted therein, and an axially separable driving connection between said shaft and the driving shaft carried by the cage. i

6. In a driving axle structure, the combination of a pair of oppositely extending tubular casing members, shaft sections rotatably mounted in said tubular casing mein bers, a central-casing member formed at its ends for detachable engagement W1th.eiff1`er of the tubular members, Vsaid central 'casing' member having a transverse perforation to one side of the axis of the casing, a cage detaohably mounted in the centralcasing member and having a lateral extension arranged in aline'ment Wit-h said transverse perfor* tion,

In Witness whereof, I havefhereunt set my hand and seal atIndianapolis, I diana, this 16th day of March, A. I). one Ythousand nine hundred and twelve.

- THOMASJ. LINDSAY. [L s] Y i l-Vitnessesz ARTHUR M. Hoon, FRANK A, FAHLE.

shaft bearings carried by the laterai a. driving shaft car= riedv in said bearings, a-compensator mountedgears carried by andv connecting TOT? 

